Virals is a mysterious and fast paced science fiction novel by
Kathy Reichs, author of the highly acclaimed Temperance Brennan series.
This is her first young adult book. It follows Temperance's great
niece, Tory Brennan as she and her friends discover secret testing
facilities, strange experiments, and a deep set mystery in her new
hometown. They are forced not only to rethink the world they live in,
but also themselves as they become infected with a strange virus that
gives them canine reflexes and senses.

I enjoy the main character for her dry humor and intelligence. She
is given lacey gifts and signed up for classical dance lessons by her
distracted and characteristically aggravating step-mother. These
painfully tedious experiences make you relate to her, and make you feel
like you're the one in the story. She also shows her scientifically
inclined personality by adventuring on a neighboring island and
befriending a wolf pup. It is introduced early on that Tory would
rather categorize seashells than text, showing that she does not
necessarily fit in the with the popular crowd. I felt that it added to
the story and made the book extremely interesting.

It is a perfect book for people interested in science fiction and
equally good for mystery lovers. It draws in readers of all ages, with
a compelling plot and complex story.

Students are inundated with WWII stories about the Holocaust, and for good reason. But it was a pleasure to find a take on WWII we so rarely hear. Written from the perspective of a Lithuanian refugee whose family is exiled to Siberia, Between Shades of Gray is a masterpiece of teen war fiction. Sepetys's narrative is as elegant as it is unflinching, and is bound to move any reader to tears. Though it is primarily a work of fiction, Sepetys based many of the scenes from interviews with survivors, making the atrocities depicted within all the more harrowing to behold. Perhaps Sepetys's most impressive accomplishment is that, despite the disturbing subject matter, she has wrought a book that is as engaging and focused on love and empathy as it is painfully honest. Beautifully written, masterfully told, please read Between Shades of Gray with Not Your Mother's Book Club's highest recommendation.